A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

In a 60 Minutes online exclusive, reporter Liz Hayes quizzed Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his relationship with the unpredictable Twitter aficionado and US president Donald Trump ahead of their meeting at the White House Friday.

NY mayor, celebs at inauguration rally

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Moore and Rosie Perez are planning to rally New Yorkers to stand up to President-elect Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration.

Organisers say they expect thousands of New Yorkers to attend the event, put together by groups including Greenpeace and the liberal activist organisation MoveOn, on Trump's home turf.

The demonstration is intended as a kick-off to organising opposition to Trump's policies and support for cities taking their own approach on immigration, climate change, health care, workers' rights and other issues.

"We are sending a message to Washington that we will fight, at every step, discrimination and harmful policies, today, tomorrow, and every day," Ruffalo said in a statement.

He said participants "are coming together to stand up for one another, as we will do every day, to protect the values we hold dear".

The demonstration also aims to spotlight actions that cities can take locally, such as working on their own to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The Republican president-elect's choice for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, current Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has questioned the science showing that the planet is warming and that man-made emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are to blame.